Home is Where the Heart is
by Lou Buggins
Summary: Callum wonders where is home truly is. Established Rayllum. Post S3. Short and fluffy one-shot.


Home was a hard word to describe at this point in his life. If he were being honest with himself, he never really had a permanent example of what home was for him. His parents had lived in the village that surrounded the royal grounds of Katolis when he was born. The small house they lived in was nothing more than a vague memory to him now. Then he recalled the day he and his Mom moved into the castle not long after the passing of his father. What a big difference that had been.

The stone walls of the castle always made the empty halls and large rooms feel cold, and despite the constant presence of guards, the castle still felt lonely. His mother was kept busy with her new responsibilities as both a queen and an expectant mother to the kingdom's heir. His new father was distant, even in his free time. The only kids he ever had a chance to play with anymore were older than him and were not the best company to have. The oldest of the siblings, a blonde boy with a big ego, was always more interested in the physically demanding games, such as sword sparring or horse races. The boy's younger sister was easier to spend time with, but at times unnerved the young prince with her obsession with dark magic. It wasn't until his baby brother was born that he had a more constant companion, but even then, he still never felt quite at home.

Then his life changed forever the night he came face to face with an Elven assassin and her long, silver blades. The place he thought was meant to be his home turned into a place of lies and death. When he had left the castle behind on that fateful night, he thought he would someday return, but in his heart he knew...it was never to be his home.

During his quest to return the dragon prince to his home in Xadia, he encountered many new places he had never known before. Even when he was just a village boy, he had never stepped foot outside of the Katolis capital. Nor had he ever experienced a place as magical as Xadia. He will never forget his first day walking through a dense forest of wonders after barely escaping a fiery demise by the likes of a bitter old dragon.

The constant sounds of humming bugs, chirping birds, and other creatures shifting through the canopy were an odd mixture of relaxing and exciting. He remembers all the colors too, of the trees and the flowers, even the ground. Everything made the cube in his hand glow in every direction. He could feel the magic flowing between every living thing. It felt like the moments just before lightning struck.

He knew right away that Xadia was a place he could spend many of his years in. Just for the pleasure to explore and learn from the mysterious land. But could this land of magic truly be his home?

The thought had not occurred to him until just now, several years since his first steps into this strange new world. The young mage closed his eyes as he allowed himself to soak in his surroundings. He was back in the Moonshadow Forest, only this time he found himself lying in the soft grass of the Adoraburr patch. He had one arm bent up behind his head that he used as a pillow. His face was pointed up toward the sky as he enjoyed the warmth of the summer sun. There was an occasional breeze that carried the sweet smells and sounds of the melodaisies that grew nearby. He took long and deep breaths to take it all in.

He could feel the gentle movements of the adoraburrs rolling around in the tall grass. Their small, round bodies brushing against his pant legs or his torso every now and then. They were a comforting presence in a place that had become so familiar to him. But what pleasured him most was the elf woman that laid at his side. Her head occupied his free arm as she lounged beside him in the meadow. She had been the last to speak, but now she remained silent as she too relaxed in the peaceful place she loved so much.

He peaked open his eyes and glanced over to her. She was so content as she snoozed beside him. In an act of boldness, he found his hand gravitating toward her hair. The only thing softer than the plush little creatures of the field was the silver strand of hair that slid between his fingers. Finer than silk and longer than the blades of grass that outlined their bodies. He let each long strand slip through his fingers and gently massaged the base of her horns. He heard her hum in approval and he smirked despite himself. He was proud of his ability to bring her even the simplest of pleasures.

"What are you planning over there?" He heard her question and he smiled even wider at the unique sound of her voice.

He glanced down to meet her suspicious, but amused gaze. "Just enjoying the company." He answered back with equal amusement.

"Hum, well don't enjoy it too much." She warned with a glint of mischief in her violet eyes. "We have to be back soon. Ethari is making lunch for us and I rather you not start somethin' you can't finish."

She ended her jib with a playful wink, but her suggestive statement brought a deep blush to the mage's cheeks. Though they had been together for several years now and have moved well into the most intimate step in their relationship, the girl had greatly misinterpreted his intentions.

"I wasn't trying to _start_ anything, you dirty-minded elf." He teased as he shifted his weight and now laid on his side, facing her. She let out a laugh as she copied him so that her face met his.

"Oh please, you always start playin' with me horns and me hair when you want to start somethin'."

"I don't always!" He tried to defend himself, but she quickly shot him down with a look that read 'don't even try to deny it.'

"Okay maybe." He relented. "But I swear this time that was not on my mind."

Her face softened but this time her eyes filled with curiosity. "Then what was on your mind?" She asked him gently. She knew that her silly prince was ever the over-thinker, so whatever was plaguing his thoughts, she hoped she could be the voice of reason.

The smile on his lips faltered at her question and his emerald eyes dropped to the ground between them. This caused her own grin to vanish as she looked upon him with concern.

"Callum?" She pressed, her voice laced with worry.

Realizing his mistake, the boy pulled his gaze back up to meet hers. He managed to flash her a small grin and watched her visibly relax at the gesture. "I was just thinking...about home." He finally admitted, but tried to make his words sound nonchalant.

The elf frowned anyway. "Are ya homesick?" She asked, not even bothering to hide the surprise in her voice. "We were just in Katolis for ya birthday and Queen Zubeia is expectin' us back by the half-moon."

Callum shook his head. "No no, I'm not missing Katolis. I mean, I love visiting my brother and our friends, but I don't miss the castle. Quite the opposite actually."

Now his girlfriend's brows knitted in confusion, but she waited for him to elaborate.

"I'm not missing home, Rayla. I think, for the first time, I actually feel at home."

Her pointed ears perked up at this. "But I thought Katolis was ya home?"

The prince looked at her thoughtfully. "Katolis is where I'm from, but it never felt like where I belonged."

Slowly, he inched his hand toward one of her own and intertwined their nine fingers together. He moved her hand slightly closer to him and rubbed small circles over her knuckles with his thumb.

"I was thinking about Xadia and about everything it comes with. The magic, the creatures, the history…" he paused to give her hand a loving squeeze, "...and you."

They both blushed this time, but neither looked away as Callum continued. "And I realized that this, this place and this moment, right here with you. This is where I belong. This," he lifted her hand and brought it to his chest, "is my home." He finished his confession by placing a tender kiss onto the back of her hand.

Rayla's blush darkened and her eyes began to shimmer with budding tears, but she did her best to blink them away. She yanked her hand out of his grip and shook her head.

"Sappy Prince." She half-heartedly chastised as she turned around to hide her face from him. She curled herself into a ball with her back facing toward him. Callum chuckled at her sudden shyness, but did not allow her off the hook that easily. Instead he scooted closer and wrapped his bare arm around her waist, pulling her toward him so that his chest pressed into her back and their legs tangled together.

When she did not try to move away from him, he leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"You're my home, Rayla." He whispered into her ear. His breath warming her neck and sending a shiver down her spine. He leaned back down into the grass, but continued to hold her in his embrace. For a long pause they each stayed quiet, before Callum finally caught the sound of her hushed voice.

"And you're my home too."


End file.
